Pilot Project – Most Expensive Textbooks on Reserve

Thanks to the support of the Minter Foundation and after consultation with student and faculty focus groups, McCain Library is happy to announce a pilot project that we hope will enhance student success at Agnes Scott College. The library will purchase the most expensive textbooks (retailing for $100 or more) being used in ASC courses taught during spring semester 2015 .

As suggested by students in a focus group and an online survey, the books will be on reserve at the Circulation Desk in McCain, and may be borrowed for up to two hours*, for use within the library only – not overnight or in classrooms. The library took this step after hearing from the campus community about the difficulty some students face in affording the high cost of textbooks, particularly in certain natural and social science fields such as Chemistry or Psychology.

We know it also may be useful to have access to a textbook for the first week or two of the semester, when there may be a delay in obtaining a personal copy from the ASC Bookstore or another vendor.

The list of books that the library expects to make available for short-term loans starting in January 2015 is below. (Thank you to faculty who have contributed to this project, as well.)

McCain Library and the Minter Foundation are delighted to begin this experiment. If successful, the library will repeat it for fall semester 2015 courses, as well.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. Not all textbooks used at ASC will be on reserve – only those that meet our “most expensive” threshold and which are not readily available from used book vendors. For tips on finding cheaper, used, or rentable copies of less expensive textbooks to purchase yourself, please locate the ISBN of the edition your professor prefers (normally noted within a course description on AscAgnes) and use this guide.

2. Because these textbooks on reserve will be in a multi-user environment, none of these books will have online access codes or provide additional curricular content. McCain Library also will not provide workbooks or consumable items designed for individual students to write in. If your class requires that type of component, try to buy or rent it separately on your own.

3. *It will be considered an Honor Code violation for a student to keep a book from this special reserve collection for longer than the two-hour loan period, although if no one else in a class is waiting for a copy, library staff may permit a renewal/extension depending upon demand.

4. McCain Library advises students to familiarize themselves with copyright laws and fair use standards. Students accept liability by borrowing a textbook; it is not appropriate to scan or photocopy an entire book. Rather, you should read and make notes on note cards, computers, or notebook paper – not in the textbooks – on site in the library.

The library hopes that students will enjoy this new service! Questions or comments may be directed here.